The bridge connects the Rhode Island towns of Portsmouth and Bristol, and is part of Route 114. Its towers are 285 feet (87 m) tall, the length of the main span is 1,200 feet (366 m) and it offers 135 feet (41 m) of clearance over high water. The total length of the bridge is 6,130 feet (1,868 m).
Prior to construction of the bridge, a ferry operated between Bristol and Portsmouth. The 1855 Bristol Ferry Light still remains at the base of the bridge. The Mount Hope Bridge's construction was originally proposed in 1920. After a few years of resistance from the Rhode Island General Assembly, the New Hope Bridge Company was incorporated in 1927. Designed by Robinson & Steinman, construction began on December 1, 1927.
Four months before it was scheduled to open, serious structural problems were discovered, forcing the contractor to disassemble and reassemble significant portions of the bridge.
On October 24, 1929, about five months behind schedule, the $5,000,000 bridge was opened to traffic. It was owned by the Mount Hope Bridge Company as a private toll bridge, with the initial toll costing 60 cents one-way, and $1 for a round-trip. By 1931 the Bridge company went bankrupt, and Rudolf F. Haffenreffer, a prominent local brewer, acquired the bridge in receivership.
It remained the longest suspension bridge in New England for 40 years, until the opening of the Claiborne Pell Bridge in Newport, Rhode Island.
In 1971, the Mount Hope Bridge was considered for inclusion as part of the never-built Interstate 895. This plan would have required the construction of a parallel span, and the entire I-895 plan was eventually dropped due to community opposition throughout the affected areas of Rhode Island.
The Mount Hope Bridge has been listed since 1976 with the National Register of Historic Places (Structure #76000038).
It underwent more than $15 million in renovations between 1998 and 2004.
Bicycles are permitted on this bridge, but experienced bicyclists are advised to use extreme caution. The bridge also has narrow sidewalks on both sides.
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